


The Yule Ball

by Sing_Out_Louise



Series: Hopes Peak Academy of Witchcraft and Wizardry [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-08
Updated: 2014-07-08
Packaged: 2018-02-08 01:37:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1921812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sing_Out_Louise/pseuds/Sing_Out_Louise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A ball requires elegance and grace – neither of which Touko possessed. A ball also requires you to accompany somebody, which Touko was sure wouldn’t happen. There was only one boy in the school she would agree to accompany to such an event, and though she wanted him to more than anything, she was sure that he would not ask someone like her.<br/>But he did.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Yule Ball

‘Touko, you look gorgeous!’ Sayaka cooed.

Touko averted her eyes, fiddling with the lace trim on the sleeves of her evening gown. It was a something she picked out a couple of weekends ago, when Sayaka managed to rope her into going dress shopping in Hogsmeade. News of the Yule Ball was announced during half term, so naturally the students descended on the glad-rags shops of Hogsmeade to suit up in preparation for the event.

Sayaka hadn’t shut up about it all term, constantly chattering about her dress and how she was to wear her hair and who everyone’s dates were going to be.

Touko, on the other hand, had been dreading the oncoming ball. Though the idea of a ball as a fictional concept and tool for romantic writing was an appealing one, when presented with one in real life, things were very different.

A ball requires elegance and grace – neither of which Touko possessed. A ball also requires you to accompany somebody, which Touko was sure wouldn’t happen. There was only one boy in the school she would agree to accompany to such an event, and though she wanted him to more than anything, she was sure that he would not ask someone like her.

But he did.

Somehow, she was accompanying Byakuya Togami to the Yule Ball, without the use of charms, love potions or the Imperious curse.

He’d left it right up until the last minute. With the ball a week away, and every other girl in her class boasting a date, Touko became resigned to the fact that she would be spending the evening alone in her dorm scribbling away in her notebook. At least she could be productive instead of sitting around in the decked-out Great Hall being the centre of whispered pity.

So when Byakuya discarded a folded piece of parchment onto her desk as he exited potions class, Touko had never dreamed that it would be a note asking if she would accompany him to the Yule Ball.

But it was.

So here she sat, allowing Sayaka to advise on fickle matters such as hair and make-up - things Touko knew very little about. It was a taxing matter, but a necessary one; Byakuya had been very clear in his note that she was to look no less than her best. Not that Touko needed to be told. She wouldn’t dream of turning up looking anything less than her best for him.

‘The colour really brings out your eyes,’ Sayaka darted around Touko, taking in the full length of the dress. It was dark plum in colour, and had black lace sleeves that extended all the way down to Touko’s hands, hooking around her middle fingers.

Sayaka came to stand before Touko. She clapped her hands together. ‘Let’s do your hair!’

Touko barely had time to say anything before Sayaka forcibly maneuvered her to the vanity desk in the corner of the room and plonked her down on the small stool.

‘Is there any particular way you want your hair to look?’ She said, rummaging through the trunk at the end of her bed.

Touko’s forehead creased, starring at her bedraggled braids in the mirror. ‘I m-must look my best…!’

‘Yeah, I got that…’ Sayaka rolled her eyes, retrieving her wand. ‘But is there any particular style you want?’

‘I d-don’t know anything about hair!’ Touko retorted, curling her hands into fists. ‘I’m n-not some… stupid bimbo…!’

Sayaka waved her hands in the air. ‘Okay, okay! I get it! Okay, so how about…’ She made a circular gesture with her wand, and like a marionette on a string, Touko’s plaits were lifted into the air, wrapping themselves around her head like a crown. Sayaka plucked a jeweled hair band from the dresser and gently arranged it amongst the magically created hairstyle. ‘Ta da!’

Touko gazed at her reflection in the mirror. For once, she wasn’t entirely repulsed by what she saw. ‘It’s… okay…’

‘I think you look lovely!’ said Sayaka, beaming at Touko in the glass.

Touko allowed herself to smile, if only a little.

After hair was dealt with, she sat through Sayaka smearing copious amounts of makeup product onto her face and draping jewelry on her as if she were a Christmas tree, all the while listening to her roommate natter on about how excited she was for the ball.

‘The boys will all probably be upstairs outside the Great Hall already,’ Sayaka continued, painting Touko’s nail a shade of purple that matched the dress. ‘They don’t have as much preparation to do as us girls!’ She giggled. ‘Except Leon of course – he’ll probably be last down. You know how fussy he is about his hair…!’

Sayaka’s own date was Leon Kuwata of Gryffindor house. As soon as it was announced that students were to take a date to the dance, Leon had cornered Sayaka after class. Though she had rolled her eyes at the time, Touko could tell she was thrilled to be asked by such an outrageous boy as Leon. And Leon was lucky – boys throughout their year were falling over themselves to ask Sayaka, only to find that she had already accepted Leon’s offer. Makoto Naegi had made quite the fool of himself choosing to try and ask Sayaka at breakfast in front of a gaggle of her friends, only to find luck, for once, wasn’t on his side.

Leon was known for being a flashy, show-off type of student – constantly spiking his bright red hair that clashed horribly with his robes, and sporting several facial piercings that many of the professors took issue against. Touko couldn’t possibly begin to imagine what horrific outfit he would be sporting this evening.

Sayaka sealed the nail varnish with a flick of her wand. ‘There you go!’ She straightened up, smoothing down her own puffy pink dress that complimented her navy blue hair. ‘Let me just sort out my own nails then we’ll be all set.’

She retrieved a bottle of bright pink varnish from one of the drawers in the vanity.

‘So what are you going to do when you and Byakuya are together?’ She asked, brushing noxious colour onto her thumbnail.

‘Uh… I…’ Touko faltered. She hadn’t got that far. All of her thought process was going into preparing for the eventuality that he would not turn up. What would they do? What would they talk about? Would he touch her? Dance with her? Kiss her? All these scenarios danced in her mind, setting butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

‘You must have some idea?’ Sayaka pressed. ‘He’ll probably ask you to dance – it is a ball after all!’ She turned to Touko excitedly, a mischievous grin on her face. ‘Ooh, I heard there’s going to be a fairy garden set up in the courtyard which would be the perfect place for _you-know-what_ …!’

Touko’s jaw dropped, aghast. ‘W-What do you t-think I am?! Some… v-vulgar slut who w-would fumble around in a b-bush on a first d-date?!’

It was Sayaka’s turn to look shocked. ‘Oh my god, Touko – not that kind of you know-what! I meant if he kisses you!’

‘K-Kissing has been known to lead to… you-know-what…’ Touko mumbled, tone reproachful.

‘Well yeah,’ Sayaka shrugged, waving her wand over the five pink nails. ‘But I’d expect not in the middle of a fairy garden at a party. Unless you’re into that kind of stuff…?’

‘You t-think I’m some kind of d-dirty animal…?!’

Sayaka groaned and began to paint the nails on the other hand. ‘Nevermind! The bottom line is, are you prepared for if he _does_ kiss you?’

Touko picked at her freshly painted nails. ‘He w-won’t…’

‘How can you be so sure? He did ask you to go as his date and usually that indicates at least some level of interest…’

‘W-Why would someone l-like him want to kiss me? I’m filthy and, and repulsive and—‘

‘Touko,’ Sayaka turned to glare at her sternly. ‘You promised me you wouldn’t put yourself down like that.’

Touko stared at her wand.

‘You’re not repulsive; you’re really pretty and look positively stunning right now! If you were all those things you just said, how come Byakuya asked you in the first place, huh?’

Biting her lip, Touko glanced up at her roommate, whose stern expression had softened into a gentle smile.

‘You’re gonna have a great time tonight, I’ll make sure of it,’ Sayaka winked, then flicked her wand across her other hand. ‘And that’s me all ready! We should head upstairs now – the ball will be beginning officially soon!’

Touko rose from the stool, gingerly lifting her floor-length skirt so as not to trip, Sayaka’s kind words still stinging the corners of her eyes. Sayaka looped an arm through Touko’s elbow, causing her to flinch. ‘Let’s go!’

 

\---

 

The two girls emerged from the dungeon stairwell ten minutes later, along with various other members of Slytherin house. Sayaka still had Touko in a firm grip, which she tried to shake (“P-People will think you’re my date…!!”) but her roommate valiantly clung on regardless.

The Entrance Hall was decorated with festive lights and floating candles, which cast a warm orange glow across the room of excited students. A queue had formed in front of the doors to the Great Hall, snaking its way around the lobby area.

Touko’s gaze scanned the crowd but she couldn’t see Byakuya anyway. The butterflies that were already present in her stomach intensified. She was still waiting for the moment where she’d sit up in bed to remember that she didn’t have a date after all, much less Byakuya Togami.

‘Yo, Sayaka!’

The girls turned to see Leon Kuwata sauntering towards them. He had opted not to wear the traditional dress robes that the other male students in the hall were wearing, but instead had gone with a white suit, made complete with a black shirt and red tie. His infamous auburn hair was slicked back off his forehead – a change from the usual mess of spikes.

‘Hi, Leon!’ Sayaka dropped Touko’s arm and moved towards Leon. Leon took her hand and planted a melodramatic kiss on the back of it, causing Sayaka to giggle. He offered her his arm, which she took.

Touko was suddenly very aware of the lack of Sayaka. With her braids done up and her dress lacking in obvious reachable hems, she found there was nothing for her to fiddle with, and was painfully conscious of her hands, which hung limply at her sides. Now that Sayaka and Leon had united as couple for the evening, the phrase ‘third wheel’ sprung to mind.

‘Hey, Touko,’ Leon addressed her. ‘Who’s your date for this thing?’

‘…Byakuya Togami,’ Touko confessed, a smirk appearing on her face. The fact that she had a date at all was something to boast about, but the actual person taking the part of said date added to the pride she felt in admitting it.

‘No way! He actually asked someone?’ Leon guffawed before wincing as Sayaka elbowed him in the ribs. ‘Ouch…! Uhh, good for you! So where is he anyway?’

Touko shuffled her feet. ‘He’s… n-not here yet.’

She glanced down, but not quick enough to miss the look shared between Leon and Sayaka.

Averting her eyes from her roommate and date, Touko scanned the mass of students. Girls donned their finest dresses, while boys wore a mix of dress-robes and suits. Across the hall, she caught the eye of Sonia Nevermind, clad in a grand, pale pink ball-gown, who waved animatedly at her, clutching the arm of Gundam Tanaka, whose own face held a serene look of anticipation. Touko meekly returned the wave before she felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to face Sayaka who was gesturing over to the Slytherin stairwell.

‘I think your date’s here!’

Touko whipped around. Sure enough, at the mouth of the stairwell, stood Byakuya, eyeing the crowd with scrutiny, chin lifted and lips pursed. He wore perfectly tailored dress-robes, in a shimmery green-black velvet fabric, clearly out-dressing every other male student at the function. He was flanked by Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko, a Slytherin in the year below them who only came up to Byakuya’s elbow. Kuzuryuu spotted his date and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Byakuya solitary at the stairs.

She must have been rooted to the spot, as she felt a push in the small of her back. Sayaka made shooing gestures, followed by thumbs up.

‘Go on!’

Touko stumbled forwards, treading on the front of her dress, forgetting to lift it up as Sayaka had shown her. Flushing red and praying that Byakuya had not yet spotted her, she darted through the crowd towards him, heart racing with anticipation.

Managing to dodge past a fair number of students, Touko emerged a few feet from Byakuya; at which point his searching eyes fell upon her figure. They made eye contact, before Byakuya’s gaze moved away from hers to take in her hair, dress and everything Sayaka had done to help Touko look “her best”. She found she was holding her breath, so wanting him to approve, because there was always still time for him to send her back to her dorm if he didn’t.

A few seconds passed, before his face relaxed into one of mild satisfaction. Touko let out the breath she’d been holding as he strode towards her. A giddy feeling of relief washed through her, tinting her cheeks pink.

Byakuya reached her. ‘You actually made the effort to look presentable tonight,’ he noted. ‘Or is all this entirely your roommates’ doing?’

‘Ahh…! S-Sayaka did… help me…’ Touko stuttered, meshing her fingers together. ‘I d-don’t know very m-much about fashion… or hair… or make-up…’

‘That much is obvious by your usual appearance,’ Byakuya remarked. ‘But regardless of who made you presentable, the fact is, you are, for once, not a complete eyesore.’

Not a complete eyesore!! Did that count as a compliment? Yes, Touko decided. Yes it did.

He held out his arm. Touko stared at it. Surely he didn’t want her to…?

‘I’m not merely holding my arm out for you to stare at – you are supposed to take it.’

A hysterical giggle threatened to escape her lips. He actually wanted her to walk arm-in-arm with him! Just like all the other couples! He was allowing her to touch him!

Touko quickly linked her arm in his before he could change his mind. Byakuya began to steer them both in the direction of the end of the queue winding around the Entrance Hall, walking the length of the line of students.

Touko could barely repress a smug grin as she passed certain classmates she knew had been taking bets on the fact she wouldn’t get a date to the ball, let alone be the date of Byakuya Togami, heir to the most powerful family of pureblood wizards in the Magical World as of current.

In fact, the sight of Hiyoko Saionji standing in the queue boy-less with a sour scowl on her face would definitely go down on the list of best things that have happened this evening. After all of the taunting in the Slytherin common room about how “ _Touko and Mikan won’t get dates ‘cos they’re dumb ugly babies!_ ” it was almost blissful how Hiyoko turned out to be the only girl in Slytherin who had not secured a date. Though saying she was date-less would be technically untrue, as Mahiru Koizumi from Gryffindor had offered to be the girl’s date instead, Touko suspected out of pity.

They joined the end of the line, falling in behind Makoto Naegi and Kyouko Kirigiri, who were both whispering fervently, before noticing Byakuya and Touko.

‘Hey, Byakuya! Hey, Touko!’ Makoto grinned. ‘You both look great!’

‘I agree with Makoto,’ Kyouko chimed in. ‘Especially your dress, Touko – it suits you very well, really brings out your eyes.’

Touko’s cheeks burned and she turned her eyes to the floor, gently shuffling closer to Byakuya.

A gong sounded causing the chatter of the queue to fall silent, and the group turned towards the doors of the Great Hall. One of the castle ghosts hovered above the heads of the students holding an equally ghostly gong.

‘Let the Yule Ball… commence!’ The ghost’s voice echoed through the hall and the large wooden doors swung open accompanied by a cheer from the crowd.

The line of students began to surge forward into the Great Hall, which they could now see was decorated to look like an ice palace, with glittering icicles hanging from the enchanted ceiling. A chorus of violins started up from somewhere within the hall, filling Touko’s ears and causing her heart to soar, as the various couples and non-couples filtered into the banqueting-hall-turned-ballroom,

Her grip on Byakuya’s arm tightened and a smile broke across her face. She felt as if she were in a fairytale and the stresses of the previous term faded into the very back of her mind. Her anxiety gently ebbed and for the moment, was left at the threshold.

She cast a glance at her date whose eyes were fixed ahead. His expression was hard to read, but she hoped he was feeling just as elated as she. Though of course he had the downside of having her as a date, but perhaps he would be able to overlook her blighting influence just for tonight.

Once the majority of students had filed into the Great Hall, the same ghost with the gong swooped over their heads and hovered above a space that was presumably the dance floor. He rang the gong again to fetch attention. The music (which Touko noticed had been coming from a group of centaurs at the back of the hall) finished with a flourish.

‘To begin the Yule Ball, you will be lead in the first dance by your headmaster, and a prefect from each house.’

The ghost dipped his transparent head in a bow and floated away through the back wall. As stated, Professor Kirigiri stepped forward, accompanied by one of the female professors. The four house prefects and their partners also stepped forward to join the Headmaster on the dance floor.

Touko wasn’t familiar with most of the prefects, but she did recognize the Hufflepuff one; Kiyotaka Ishimaru was in a lot of the same classes as her. He was known for being a strict adherer to the school rules and could constantly be found preaching said rules at students not as diligent as he. His date was Mukuro Ikusaba, also in Touko’s class, but Mukuro was in Gryffindor house.

As the band of centaurs struck up a waltz, the five couples began to dance – some better than others.

Touko snickered, watching Kiyotaka move with all the grace of a wooden plank. The boy was talented at standing to attention but not so talented at waltzing. Mukuro attempted to maneuver him more elegantly but it was a lost cause.

About a minute into the dance, other students began to stray onto the dance floor and soon the space was full of couples. Touko jumped when Byakuya extracted his arm from hers and instead offered her his hand.

‘I’m assuming you know how to dance,’ He said, leading her out into the middle of the floor.

Dancing was never something Touko had indulged in. Every other girl she knew had taken ballet classes or some other form of dance when they were little, but she did not fall into this category. The extent of her dancing history was dancing away from social contact. But Byakuya didn’t need to know that. He’d find out in the next few minutes. Oh god.

Byakuya turned to face her and hesitated for a split second, before placing his hand on her waist, gripping her hand with his other arm.

At this point, a part of Touko’s brain seemed to stop functioning, her hands frozen in midair. Her mind was a mess of holy crap he’s holding my waist oh my god he’s actually touching me and willingly too we’re so close he’s so close this is a dream this isn’t really happening this can’t be happening to me I don’t deserve this oh my god oh my god ohmygod—

‘Fukawa, are you going to dance with me or you just going to stand there with your arms in the air like an imbecile?’

Sighing, he grasped Touko’s hand and deposited it on his shoulder, before returning his own hand to her middle.

A second later, she found herself moving along with Byakuya, who lead in a rather shoddy excuse for a waltz. He seemed to be quite competent at the dance, but Touko had no idea what she was doing, making a poor attempt to follow his lead. Her eyes were fixed on the floor, anxious not to tread on his feet, which would be sure to end this rare moment of close contact. She was aware of him vaguely tittering at her ineptitude but took it as a good sign that he seemed willing to go along with it.

They found some sort of rhythm and her thoughts drifted. Why was she even here and not sitting at the side of the dance floor alone, or even back in her room? What train of thought caused Byakuya to ask her in the first place? Of course, she’d already given this matter plenty of consideration in the past week. Perhaps she was the only girl in Slytherin left to ask? There was no chance that he’d even consider going with a girl from another house. If he had considered other houses, she wouldn’t have stood a chance. So maybe she was the last option within the category.

No, that wasn’t true. Hiyoko didn’t have a date, and she was in Slytherin. But considering Hiyoko’s cruel backchat and vulgar gossip, Byakuya wouldn’t have even thought about asking trash like her. Touko puffed out her chest somewhat proudly. He probably chose her over Hiyoko because he knew that she wouldn’t talk back to him or try and assert dominance. After all, a strong woman wasn’t something Byakuya wanted. Or at least, this is what Touko believed he would say.

Realising she had fallen into step with Byakuya enough to not have to solely concentrate on their feet, she allowed her gaze to wander from their shoes to the couples surrounding them. She didn’t look straight at Byakuya himself, afraid she would lose concentration to such an extent that she might injure him.

Over his shoulder, she saw Sayaka and Leon a little way off, who seemed to be having issues keeping in step. In fact, it appeared that Leon couldn’t waltz at all, and Sayaka was quickly losing patience. This was reassuring – even the two so-called “performers” hadn’t mastered the art of formal dancing.

Sayaka looked up and caught Touko’s eye. She pulled a face that said, “help me”, to which Touko snickered.

This slight distraction caused a misstep, resulting in Touko’s foot colliding with Byakuya’s ankle.

‘Ahh! S-Sorry…!!’ she squeaked, retracting her hands to under her chin.

Byakuya frowned but otherwise showed no outward signs of being about to go in search of another girl to dance with. ‘No matter - you’re not heavy enough to cause any serious harm to my toes.’

He held out his arms, gesturing to for Touko to resume the position they had been in. ‘But it might help matters if you were to… look at me while we dance,’ he muttered.

Touko immediately locked her eyes on his face. His beautiful, beautiful face. Once she started looking, she couldn’t stop. His expression slowly changed from his usual haughty frown to what could almost count as a smile, the cold, hard quality of his eyes softening.

And it was true, once they picked up the dance again, they were perfectly in rhythm, and Touko found that as long as she just followed his lead, her feet somehow found all the right places.

The rest of the students melted away and it was just he and she, dancing in their own palace of ice, under the skies of a half-moon night. At this moment, she could almost kid herself that he shared even half the feelings she felt for him.

The music gently came to a close, and the couples around them faded back into existence as most of the people in the room stopped to applaud the musicians.

Touko and Byakuya did not immediately stop, but gradually halted, lapsing into more of a sway. Byakuya tore his gaze away from Touko, expression returning to default. Touko chewed her lip.

The ghost from before drifted back to hover above the band.

‘And now for something a little more upbeat…’ his voice reverberated. A gesture to the band and the centaurs began to play something with a Latin feel.

Simultaneously, Touko and Byakuya grimaced.

‘Latin is not a style I prefer to indulge in,’ Byakuya said, wrinkling his nose. He glanced to the edge of the dance floor where there were tables and chairs set out. The tables bore elaborate centerpiece decorations, and made out of ice just like the rest of the festoons.

‘Come, Fukawa,’ he said, beckoning, pacing towards one of the tables. Touko scurried after him, sitting on the chair next to the one he chose. They were not the only two to opt out of the faster dance – other students had also migrated to the sides, some choosing to sit, others standing.

She noticed a bar and buffet table situated at the back of the hall, which some of the students had drifted towards.

She was just about to ask Byakuya if she could get him a drink or perhaps serve as his personal footrest when Kiyotaka and Mukuro appeared at their table.

‘Good evening, fellow classmates!’ Kiyotaka exclaimed, a little too loudly, beaming from ear to ear as Mukuro quietly took a seat. ‘Are you enjoying this evening of festivity so far?’

‘It is satisfactory,’ Byakuya spoke curtly. Touko snuck a peek at his expression and it mirrored hers.

Clearly not picking up on the fact that neither Touko nor Byakuya desired his presence, Kiyotaka slumped down into the chair next to Mukuro, wiping his brow. ‘Phew! I am already pooped from all of this dancing!’

Touko wondered how exactly someone could be ‘pooped’ from being moved around by your partner as if you were a flat-pack box of furniture.

‘Fukawa,’ Byakuya’s head snapped to her. ‘Get me a drink.’

An opportunity both to satisfy Byakuya and get away from the pompous Hufflepuff prefect was not one she was going to give up. Without missing a beat, she vacated her chair and made a beeline for the bar situated at the back of the Great Hall.

She joined the queue of students, just behind Sonia Nevermind, who turned to smile at her.

‘Isn’t this exciting?’ she asked, clapping her hands together.

‘I… s-suppose…’ Touko mumbled.

‘I could not help but notice that your date is Byakuya Togami,’ Sonia chirped. ‘If it is not too immodest of me to say, I think you two are so very endearing together!’

A blush washed across Touko’s cheeks and she bit her lip. ‘You t-think…?’

Sonia beamed. ‘Of course! I wish that the rest of your evening is a delightful one!’

The queue moved forwards, and Sonia turned to place her order leaving Touko’s cheeks to continue to burn. The resident princess was always unbelievably lovely to her, despite Touko’s usual stench and demeanor.

Sonia moved away bearing her drinks, and Touko stepped forward to the counter. A small house-elf sporting a glittery tea towel perched on a stool behind the bar.

‘What can I get for you, Miss Fukawa?’ the elf piped, its voice high-pitched and squeaky.

Touko suddenly realised she had no idea what Byakuya had actually wanted her to bring him.

‘I… I want t-two glasses of your finest and most expensive wine…!’ She ordered.

The elf tapped the bar twice with one of its long fingernails and two glasses of deep red wine materialized on the counter. ‘Hogwarts’ finest for you and Master Togami, Miss Fukawa!’

Taking the glasses, Touko eyed the elf suspiciously but chose not to question how it knew whom she was retrieving the drinks for. The house-elves were known for their constant knowledge of all the school’s gossip, though how they acquired this information was still unknown. Touko suspected it had something to do with certain loudmouth Hufflepuffs prattling in and around the kitchens.

She moved away from the counter, carefully carrying the drinks back to the table where she had left Byakuya. Scowling upon seeing that Kiyotaka still occupied a place at the table, she set the drinks down and returned to her seat.

Kiyotaka was in the middle of a very loud recollection of what he clearly thought was a hilarious anecdote involving a piece of Charms homework. Both Byakuya and Mukuro bore similar blank expressions, Mukuro’s with the air of having heard this thrilling tale before.

‘So of course, it turned out that I had picked up the wrong quill,’ Kiyotaka declared, in full swing. ‘It was quite foolish of me really, because my quill is cream, not white as this one was!’

Byakuya reached for the wine Touko had brought and took a pointed swig. Mukuro eyed the drink.

‘Once I realised my mistake, I returned to Ms. Monomi to explain that my essay was in fact worthy of an A star and not an A because—’

Mukuro stood. ‘I’m going to get a drink,’ she turned to Kiyotaka. ‘Do you want one?’

Kiyotaka paused. ‘I am fine, thank you, Mukuro!’

Touko watched as Mukuro disappeared into the crowd. She wondered whether she would come back.

Following Byakuya’s lead, Touko sipped at her glass of wine. It was mulled wine and had a spicy kick to it that wasn’t altogether unpleasant. She knocked back more of the drink.

The samba that the band had been playing came to a finish and applause washed over the dance floor.

When the band began to play again, Byakuya placed his wine down and stood. ‘Fukawa.’

Taking his outstretched hand, Touko realised he wanted to return to the dance floor and get away from Kiyotaka’s mind-numbing small-talk - she didn’t blame him. A part of her hoped it was because he enjoyed dancing with her, though she was probably completely wrong.

Kiyotaka looked a little taken aback but smiled. ‘Ah! Of course! A ball is, after all, for dancing! I will wait here for my date to return.’ He relaxed back into his chair, apparently unperturbed by Byakuya and Touko’s escape.

Arriving on the dance floor, Byakuya swung Touko round into the same posture as before, but instead of waltzing or performing any meaningful steps, they merely swayed from side to side, mimicking what the majority of others on the floor were doing.

Around them were other couples, and some students without partners. One that Touko recognized from her class was Yasuhiro Hagakure, who was doing some kind of robot dance with Kazuichi Souda not too far from where Touko was. It was rumoured that Yasuhiro had asked Aoi Asahina but since she already agreed to accompany Sakura Oogami, Yasuhiro was unsuccessful. He appeared to be having a good time regardless. Yasuhiro wasn’t exactly the type to get hung up over girls.

Yasuhiro noticed Touko looking over at him and waved goofily at her, giving her a thumbs up. She didn’t return the gesture.

Looking over Byakuya’s left shoulder, she saw Makoto and Kyouko, holding each other’s hands and half swaying, half jigging from side to side. Makoto sported a wide grin while Kyouko chuckled.

‘It escapes me as to why Ishimaru thinks we are at all interested in his drivel,’ Byakuya spoke, to Touko’s surprise. ‘Or that we are inclined to talk to him at all.’

Touko sniggered. ‘Clearly h-his date wasn’t interested either…’

Out of the corner of her eye, Touko noticed Sayaka and Leon standing at the side of the dance floor. Sayaka was whispering something in Leon’s ear, vaguely gesturing in Touko’s direction. Touko frowned.

Her scowl increased when Leon beckoned Yasuhiro over to him and Sayaka, and began whispering to him too.

‘Upupupupu~!’ The obnoxious voice of Professor Monokuma unexpectedly drifted upwards from the level of their knees, interrupting Touko’s spying. ‘Well, well, isn’t _this_ a surprise?’

Both Byakuya and Touko glared down at Monokuma, who arrived dragging poor Professor Monomi (another enchanted stuffed toy, similar to Monokuma but took the form of a pink and white rabbit instead) along with him.

‘I didn’t ask for your opinion,’ snipped Byakuya, angling his body away from the bear.

‘Now, now, Master Togami!’ Monokuma wagged a paw at him. ‘That’s no way to speak to a teacher!’

‘You are but a mere enchanted teddy-bear,’ Byakuya sneered. ‘I have no obligation to listen to anything you have to say outside of your specified teaching hours.’

‘Such cruel, cruel words…’ Monokuma feigned being wounded. ‘How could you do this to a poor bear merely trying to share his wisdom and knowledge…!’

‘B-Byakuya’s right!’ Touko piped up. ‘We d-don’t have to listen to anything you say outside of l-lessons!’

‘Ooooh~!’ Monokuma placed his paws on the part of his body that was presumably his hips. ‘Fukawa’s gettin’ feisty!’

Touko glowered and opened her mouth to insult the bear further, but Monokuma cut across her.

‘Okay, okay, I get it! I can see where we’re not wanted,’ He turned to Monomi. ‘Let’s leave these two whippersnappers to their mating ritual.’

Professor Monomi opened her mouth about to speak but Monokuma slapped a paw over her face.

‘Come on, Professor Monomi! We have a whole school of students to embarrass!’

Monokuma skipped away, dragging Monomi away with him.

Byakuya shot a dirty look after them. ‘It’s too crowded in here; let’s go outside.’

Touko nodded, and followed Byakuya off the dance floor and through the giant doors to the Entrance Hall.

A few other people were milling about, including some hopeful younger students attempting to sneak into the event intended for years four to seven.

The doors to the courtyard were also open, and as they approached, Touko saw what Sayaka had meant by a fairy garden. The courtyard had been transformed into a magical grotto, with newly placed trees and rosebushes forming a maze of alleyways and paths. Between some of the bushes, were situated marble benches, upon which couples sat.

Byakuya lead her out into the courtyard. The atmosphere was enchanting, as fairies flitted in and out of the shrubberies, sprinkling shimmering dust in a trail behind them. Some settled on Byakuya’s shoulder and Touko reached out to brush it off.

He paused to glance at her.

‘Y-You had some fairy dust on you…’ Touko offered, clutching her hands to her chest.

They continued into the garden, before Byakuya gestured they should sit on one of the marble seats. She couldn’t help but notice the presence of mistletoe above some of the benches, and was disappointed when Byakuya headed for a bench distinctly lacking in mistletoe. She perched herself next to him, hands neatly resting on her knees.

The moment they sat down, Touko was very aware of the silence between them. Her brain went into overdrive – what had Sayaka said she should do when there was a lull in conversation? Should she try and start a dialogue or stay silent? Let him speak? She cursed her roommate’s lack of proper briefing. All those dates Sayaka had been on over the years and she hadn’t thought to share tips! Selfish cow.

Bunching the silky material of her dress in her fists, she snuck a glance at Byakuya. He sat upright, gazing across the path at a duo of fairies darting in and out of a rose bush. Outwardly, he showed no inclination to talk to her at all. But then again, he wasn’t exactly obliged.

Unable to hold it in anymore, Touko phrased the question going around in her mind since the day she’d read his note. ‘‘Why…? Why d-did you ask m-me?

Byakuya turned his head to her. ‘Why did I ask you to the ball, you mean?’

Touko nodded. Her palms perspired onto her dress.

Something flashed behind his eyes for a split second before he looked away. ‘You were the only remaining suitable candidate,’ he said, shortly.

Touko’s heart sank. So she’d been right – she was the last option. Except…

‘W-What was wrong with Saionji? S-She didn’t have a date tonight… you c-could have asked her…?’

‘You honestly think I would sink low enough to ask that vile pipsqueak?’ Byakuya snorted.

‘…You s-sank low enough to ask me.’

He was silent.

‘I m-mean, I don’t mind, of c-course…!’ Her hands screwed up more of her dress, lifting the hem off the floor. ‘It’s an honour to have been chosen to accompany a m-member of the esteemed Togami family to the Yule B-Ball and I—‘

‘Stop talking,’ Byakuya spoke.

Touko’s mouth snapped shut.

‘You’re better when you don’t talk,’ He continued, shifting his position on the bench slightly. ‘I’ve… noticed you in the library.’

Touko remained silent, unsure whether the speaking ban was still active or not.

‘My interest was piqued when I came to realise you were one of the only other people, aside from myself, who frequently used the restricted section in the library.’ Byakuya wasn’t looking directly at her, instead his vision fixed ahead. ‘What subjects are you researching?’

Now he was looking at her. She realised he expected her to speak again.

‘Oh.. I…’ Telling a boy on a first date that you spent a lot of your time looking up the cures for werewolf-ism probably wasn’t a great move. ‘N-Nothing in particular…’

‘Don’t be ridiculous, you don’t just go to the restricted section to browse.’

‘I’ve been r-reading about polyjuice p-potion, and other banned s-substances for a story I’m writing…?’ She admitted. This was the truth – a lot of her writing featured topics of dark magic or forbidden magical items. It was one of the reasons she’d been awarded the scripture cup three years running. She didn’t bring up her writing often though, as she was very picky about who got to read it.

‘What elements of your story requires that type of research?’

Touko chewed her lip. No one had ever really asked her about her writing before.

‘W-Well, the heroine w-wishes to win the l-love of a boy in her town… b-but he is already engaged to another girl,’ She explained, picking at the purple varnish on her thumbnail. ‘So on the d-day of the his wedding s-she uses polyjuice p-potion to t-take the place of her love’s bride…’

‘Therefore tricking the boy into marrying her and not his fiancé,’ Byakuya finished, glancing at Touko.

She smiled. ‘Y-Yes, that’s right…!’

‘When you’ve finished, I’d like to read it.’

Touko looked up, startled. ‘R-Really…?’

‘You’re an award winning writer, of course I want to read some of your work.’

A warm glow tinted Touko’s cheeks. He wanted to read her work! _Voluntarily!_ She smiled, but something moving in one of the bushes behind them caught her eye.

‘If you were not the three-time winner of the scripture cup, I would not be interested—’ Byakuya continued, not noticing that Touko’s attention was elsewhere.

She squinted over her shoulder at the place where the movement occurred. In the rose bush behind, she could just make out a bunch of what looked like… sticks? A moving bunch of sticks?

‘—But since you are, I feel that your work would perhaps be worthy of my time.’

The bunch of sticks bobbed up and down, moving to the side of the bush. The bush next to this one also rustled and a flash of red appeared for a split-second before disappearing again. Touko’s brow furrowed – was the movement just fairies frolicking or were she and Byakuya being spied on?

‘I have to dedicate a lot of time to researching dark wizard activity, on top of my schoolwork so—’

Another rustle, accompanied by a muffled yelp of pain. Byakuya paused.

‘…Was that you?’

‘N-No!’

Byakuya shook his head before continuing. ‘I’m sure you know that my father is one of the most powerful men in the Wizarding World—’

Touko was half-listening to what he was saying, but kept looking at the bush out of the corner of her eye. More than likely this was someone come to poke fun and embarrass her in front of Byakuya.

‘—So potential dark wizard attacks are part of my family’s lifestyle—‘ Byakuya was in full-flow, something that would have had Touko weak at the knees were she not distracted by the disturbance behind them. The rustling ceased, but she was still uneasy. She didn’t want to be spied on, and certainly didn’t want Byakuya to cotton onto the fact they were being watched, potentially ruining one of the most intimate moments she’d ever experienced with him.

‘—Fukawa, are you listening?’

Tearing her eyes away from the bushes, she widened her eyes. ‘Y-Yes! S-Sorry… I thought there w-was something moving in the b-bushes…’

Byakuya cast a distasteful glance to where she’d gestured. ‘It’s just fairies,’ he dismissed.

Yes, of course he was right. This was, after all, a fairy grotto. Of course any movement in the bushes would be fairies. How stupid of her to think that they were being watched. She was not interesting enough to be the subject of spying and no one would dare to intrude on the private life of a member of the Togami family. It was just fairies.

‘Of course,’ He continued, as if she hadn’t just interrupted. ‘You would not be familiar with these matters of Wizarding Government being a… which are you? Half-blood? Muggle-born?’

‘H-Half-blood…’ Touko stammered, then added; ‘On m-my mother’s side.’

Byakuya paused, pursing his lips. ‘Your linage is not ideal, but will suffice.’

She bit her lip. Of course her family tree would not satisfy a purebred wizard such as himself, but his words were not entirely—

Touko did a double-take.

A bunch of mistletoe was floating through the air towards where they sat. Touko glanced at Byakuya, but he didn’t show any outward sign of having spotted it. Her eyes searched the bushes; looking for fairies or anything else that might be controlling it, but found nothing.

The mistletoe reached its destination, attaching itself magically to the brand overhanging their bench. Touko’s eyes flicked from Byakuya to the bunch of mistletoe then back to Byakuya. The mistletoe hung above them, but so far only Touko knew of its existence.

A sudden commotion sounded in the bushes behind them, loud enough for both Touko and Byakuya to swivel round where they sat. Three figures bolted out of one of the bushes, dashing back towards the castle. Touko recognized the unmistakable dreadlocks of Yasuhiro Hagakure, and with him was… Sayaka and Leon? What were they doing in a bush? Dirty things probably. Or maybe…

 _You’re gonna have a great time tonight, I’ll make sure of it!_ Sayaka’s words echoed in her mind, as Touko’s eyes drifted up to the mistletoe.

‘We came out here to get away from pestilent behavior not to experience more of it,’ Byakuya remarked, wrinkling his nose as he watched the three spies disappear into the Entrance Hall.

He turned back to Touko and followed her gaze upwards. Motionless, they stared at the mistletoe.

‘…That was not there before,’ Byakuya spoke, not taking his eyes off it.

Touko shifted. ‘N-No… it wasn’t…’

Silence fell. They were both thinking the same thing. Traditionally, there was only one thing to do when two people sat beneath a bundle of mistletoe.

So naturally, Touko should not have been surprised when Byakuya leant forwards and captured her lips in a light kiss, his hand tipping her chin upwards to meet his touch.

But of course she was surprised. Extremely surprised. So surprised, that when he pulled back, she remained frozen, her head tilted back and mouth hanging open.

‘I’ve heard the fairies that live in mistletoe collect energy off… that, and they can get quite angry if you don’t give them what they want,’ mumbled Byakuya, pointedly not looking at her.

Touko gently raised her hand to her mouth. Had… had that actually just happened? Had she actually just received her first kiss at the Hogwarts Yule Ball, under the mistletoe with Byakuya Togami?

The blush creeping across Byakuya’s face most likely mirrored her own.

Clearing his throat again, he spoke. ‘It’s getting cold out here.’ He stood, the hem of his robes falling back to the floor.

Touko followed his lead, and as she did, a cluster of fairies lurking in the bushes shot into the air, dancing around her shoulders, chattering in annoyingly singsong tones. She batted at them, but this only seemed to increase their jabbering.

‘ _Stupify_ ,’ Byakuya produced his wand and flicked it in the direction of the fairies. The little creatures froze in midair and floated away from Touko.

Tucking his wand away, Byakuya held out his free hand. ‘They may leave you alone if you take my hand.’

She reached out and placed her small hand in his. Together, they walked back along the magically lit path and back into the Entrance Hall, leaving the fairies to pester other reluctant couples.

Upon reentering the castle, they were hailed by a voice.

‘Byakuya! Touko!’

Makoto bounded across the hall towards them, followed by Kyouko.

‘Where have you guys been?’ Makoto halted before them. ‘They’re serving the most amazing food inside, you have to try it!’

Kyouko knowingly raised her eyebrow at the sight of Touko’s hand in Byakuya’s, but said nothing. Touko hoped that Byakuya hadn’t noticed.

‘I doubt it’ll be particularly outstanding,’ Byakuya scorned, as Makoto began to lead them back into the Great Hall. ‘It’s just the same house-elves preparing is as usual…’

Kyouko chuckled. ‘You just can’t let anything be good, can you?’

Makoto joined in the laughter as Byakuya scowled.

Even Touko giggled a little. The evening, which in hindsight had threatened to be dreadful, was turning out to be not so bad.

 

\---

 

The big clock located in the castle struck twelve, signaling the end of the Yule Ball. It was not quite the end however, as the ghost from before announced one last dance. The centaurs struck up a gentle lullaby type tune and the dance floor filled with couples.

Touko leant against Byakuya’s chest, arms wrapped around his neck, enjoying the feeling of his arms draped loosely around her waist as they gently swayed to the music. Her feet ached and her eyelids were beginning to droop, and she knew that tomorrow she would be suffering a terrible headache, but at this current moment she didn’t care in the slightest.

Letting her tired eyes wander, she saw Sayaka and Leon, swaying in much the same fashion as she and Byakuya. Leon’s back was turned to her, but Sayaka caught Touko’s eye. She smiled. Touko blushed. Despite all grudges held against her roommate for one reason or another, when it came down to it, Sayaka’s intentions were that of a friend. Touko would never thank her verbally, but a part of her hoped that Sayaka knew she was grateful. Grateful for her support, for her knowledge of beauty products.

For her ability to charm mistletoe to float through the air.

Touko returned the smile, but only slightly.

The music drew to a close, and a final round of applause resounded about the Great Hall. Couples around them began to part and slowly migrate off the dance floor and back towards the Entrance Hall.

Byakuya dropped his arms, and Touko let hers do the same. She cast him a timid smile.

‘…T-Thank you for… spending the evening with m-me…’ She managed, pulling at the lace on her sleeves.

‘As your date, I was obliged to,’ Byakuya said, shortly. He paused. ‘Having said that, it was not altogether an unpleasant evening.’

Touko’s heart rate quickened.

‘And,’ he continued. ‘If you are around tomorrow, come to the library and show me your manuscript. Perhaps I might be able to offer some advice.’

‘Of c-course!! It would be an honour…!’ She clasped her hands together beneath her chin. She couldn’t believe it - he was actually inviting her to spend time with him!

As the teachers began to shoo the remaining students out of the Great Hall, Touko’s mind was whirring. Tomorrow she would be spending time in Byakuya’s company for the second time running. Surely she didn’t deserve this. Perhaps Sayaka had placed a spell on Byakuya to make him say these things? The mistletoe had been one thing, but the Imperious curse was quite another.

The body of Slytherin students travelled down the stairwell to the dungeons, and through the entrance to the common room. Usually the doorway to the Slytherin quarters would be closed, only accessible via password but the door must have decided that the volume of traffic that evening was too high to bother with the password security measure.

The students split off into their various dorms once inside. Touko and Byakuya paused in the centre of the common room.

‘I will see you tomorrow at ten o’clock sharp at the table furthest from the entrance to the restricted section in the library,’ Byakuya instructed. ‘Bring your work.’

‘Y-Yes, of course!’ Touko nodded fervently.

There was a pause. She was aware that they were the only two remaining in the common room.

Byakuya shifted. ‘Goodnight then.’

‘G-Goodnight…’

Another pause.

Touko leant up on tiptoe and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.

Byakuya raised his hand to where her lips had touched. His eyes met hers.

‘Goodnight,’ he repeated, before turning and disappearing through the door to the boy’s dorm.

Now the only remaining person in the common room, Touko bit her lip, a smile dancing across her face. She too turned and slipped through the door to the girls dormitories

Touko stepped inside her room, gently shutting the door behind her. Immediately, she was greeted with an excited squeal.

‘Wasn’t that just the best night ever?’ Sayaka twirled in the space between their beds, shooting pink sparkles out of the tip of her wand. ‘The dancing, and music and decorations – it was all so wonderful!’

Touko moved to her own bed and sat down, beginning to unpin her braids from around her head.

Sayaka turned to Touko, a knowing twinkle in her eye. ‘Soooooo…?’

Touko refused to meet her roommate’s eye. ‘So… w-what?’

‘How was it?’ Sayaka flumped down onto the bed beside Touko.

‘F-Fine…’ Touko mumbled, placing the jeweled hairband on the bedside table.

Sayaka flopped backwards, throwing her arms above her head. ‘Come on, Touko! Spill the beans!’

Chewing her lip, Touko smirked. ‘…He wants to… m-meet with me in the l-library tomorrow…’

Sayaka sat up, beaming. ‘That’s awesome!’

Touko smiled, fiddling her hands in her lap.

Jumping to her feet, Sayaka stretched. ‘Phew… I’m exhausted,’ She flopped down onto her own bed, lying on her back, kicking her sequined shoes onto the floor.

Touko followed suit, swinging her legs onto the bed and laying face upwards, staring at the ceiling.

The girls lay in silence for a moment, both occupied with memories of the evening, and the sensation of aching feet.

Something from the evening’s events prompted Touko to turn her head in her roommate’s direction. ‘W-Why did you c-charm the m-mistletoe…?’ She asked, mumbling, half hoping Sayaka wouldn’t hear.

Sayaka rolled onto her side, so her back was to Touko. ‘I don’t know _what_ you’re talking about…’

A smile crossed Touko’s face.

The evening had been a truly magical one.

**Author's Note:**

> i swear there wasn't originally gonna be that much togafuka but  
> my hand slipped


End file.
